College basketball

Women: North Carolina (9-0) wins big

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - La'Tangela Atkinson had 15 points and six assists to help No. 7 North Carolina rout Wofford 87-50 on Thursday night for its 24th straight home victory.

Alex Miller added 13 points for North Carolina (9-0), Ivory Latta had 11 and Camille Little 10. Erlana Larkins was 4-for-4 from the field and had eight points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes of play.

North Carolina was 31-of-55 (56.4 percent) from the floor, its most accurate shooting this season. The Tar Heels made 10 3-pointers, with Miller and Heather Claytor each making three.

K.C. Correll led Wofford (4-2) with 11 points.

NO. 8 UCONN 72, VILLANOVA 56: Ann Strother scored a season-high 24 and had 10 rebounds for the visiting Huskies (7-1, 1-0 Big East). Renee Montgomery added 14 points.

UConn was challenged for a half before Strother scored a string of baskets to help it avoid consecutive losses for the first time since 1992-93. UConn was coming off its worst home loss in coach Geno Auriemma's 21 seasons, 77-54 to North Carolina on Monday.

On Thursday the Huskies scored the first six points of the second half to take a five-point lead and cruised from there.

NO. 19 TEXAS 77, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 56: Tiffany Jackson scored 19 and Ashley Lindsey had 12 points and 13 rebounds in her first career start for the host Longhorns (4-3). Lindsey, a 6-foot-4 freshman, also had six blocks. Stephen F. Austin (4-4) shot 11 percent (4-for-36) in the first half and 23 percent overall.

NO. 21 VANDY 57, NORTHERN ARIZONA 41: Liz Sherwood scored nine of her 13 points during a key 14-2 run over seven minutes in the second half for the host Commodores (7-2). Northern Arizona is 5-2.

[Last modified December 9, 2005, 01:20:12]